505 - Ethics and Sustainability Seminar

505 Module Intro
- Develop specialist knowledge of individual design practises
- Develop independent approach to the investigation of self determined solutions
- Practical, theoretical and conceptual understanding of technical abilities and their effective application
- Awareness of the social, cultural, ethical and commercial roles of graphic design
- Develop professional level presentation/communication skills

Importance of ethics in GD?
Ethics can be defined as moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity. So it comes under the consideration of your audience.

They definitely play a role in the work that is produced and published into the world, as it is the consideration of your audience in more depth - is it appropriate or offensive to different cultures, race, gender, religion, etc? 

Ethics do provide guidelines for your design process, applying restrictions helps build a more developed and appropriate structure to meet the requirements of your client.

What is considered 'good' design then?

I feel like this is quite subjective - as good can be seen as a satisfactory response that does just enough, but for me design is always pushing that bit further. It should be that fully considered and justified response, maybe not always appropriate to all, but definitely appropriate for the right target audience. Gives them something visual which aids their passion, and delivers the right message through persuasion and perception.

Professionals views:

Steven Heller (2003) - "An elegant logo can legitimise the illegitimate; a beautiful package can spike up the sales of an inferior product; and appealing trade character can convince kids that something that is dangerous is essential. The graphic designer is as accountable as the marketing and publicity department for the propagation of a message or idea."

Nancy Bernard (in Heller [Ed], 2003) - "think globally, act locally"

- "In reality branding, our responsibility is to make the communication 200% real.. Make it honest. Make it relevant. Avoid hyperbole. Be respectful."

Anthony Grayling (in Roberts, 2003) - Can GD have a code of ethics? "A code that would say 'thou shalt' or 'thou shalt not' - This fits awkwardly with real life, which is complex and ever-changing. Therefore to device an ethical code for designers, one would do better to say: here are examples of what a responsible ad well-intentioned designer might be like; go and do likewise."

What is Sustainable design?
(also called environmental design) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, environments, and services to comply with the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability.

Financial - Creating financially viable work focuses on the design issues that affect the costs of distribution and production.. But if designers focus too much on cost cutting or profit making, the danger is that the results will be uninspiring and bland.

Social - The overall question posed by this agenda is whether the finished design benfits society as a whole

Personal - Creating personally desirable design work is about fulfilling the dreams and desires of the individual consumer.

Environmental - Environmentally responsible design is about considering the natural resources depleted in the production process.